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Author Notes:My favorite summer sandwich, the classic egg salad, just got a whole lot better. A few months ago, I stumbled on Arabella Boxer’s “The Spice Book.” In it I discovered the most marvelous spice, seed and nut blend, called “dukkah,” as well as Ms. Boxer’s excellent recommendation to eat it with eggs. I’ve been hooked, and I mean really hooked, ever since. This recipe is for a basic egg salad, which I make using my homemade garlic and mustard aioli. A fat pinch of dukkah and a small handful of peppery watercress or arugula utterly transform it. Or just use whatever greens you have on hand. We polished off the last bacon in the house at breakfast on the day I made the sandwich for the photos posted here. It was a killer sandwich even without the bacon. Either way, enjoy!! —AntoniaJames

Food52 Review: WHO: AntoniaJames is a lawyer and passionate home cook from Piedmont, California.
WHAT: Just about the best egg salad sandwich we've ever had.
HOW: AntoniaJames binds the egg salad with a zippy homemade aioli, sprinkles it with a spice-nut blend called dukkah, and throws it on toast with bacon and greens.
WHY WE LOVE IT: We can't wait to use dukkah more often; the spiced, nutty flavor is a perfect way to spruce up any classic sandwich -- or egg dish, for that matter. Who knew egg salad could be this exciting? —The Editors

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Makes 1 sandwich, but can be doubled, tripled, etc.

The Sandwich – Makes one sandwich, but can be doubled, tripled, etc.

2 hard cooked eggs, peeled and cooled

1 tablespoon aioli or good mayonnaise + more for spreading on the bread, if desired

1 teaspoon Dijon or stoneground mustard (if not using an aioli with a strong mustard flavor)

A healthy pinch or two of dukkah, or more, or less, to taste

2 slices good sandwich bread, toasted (See note, below.)

1 or 2 slices of natural bacon, cooked until crisp (optional)

Small handful of watercress or arugula

Halve the eggs, remove the yolks and put them in a small bowl.

Add the aioli and mustard (if using) and mash together well, using the back of a fork. Coarsely chop the whites of the eggs and stir them into the mashed yolks, with the dukkah. Taste, and add more salt, or more dukkah, or both, if necessary. (If adding both, add the dukkah first, taste again, and then add salt if necessary. Remember, the dukkah has salt in it.)

If you want a bit of extra aioli or mayonnaise on the toasted bread, spread some on one or both slices.

You can either chop the bacon up and stir it into the egg salad, or put the strips on the sandwich itself. Either way, heap the egg salad and greens on the toasted bread. other.

Put the sides together, then cut in half.

Enjoy!! ;o)

Dukkah – Makes a bit more than ¼ cup

2 tablespoons raw pepitas or pumpkin seeds

2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds

2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds

2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds

1 ½ teaspoons good black peppercorns or grains of paradise (I like Malabar black pepper for this, but a Tellicherry will also do just fine.)

½ teaspoon flaky sea salt, or more to taste

Toast the pepitas or pumpkin seeds in a small heavy skillet until they just start to darken and release their fragrance. Remove immediately from the pan and allow them to cool a bit.

Toast the cumin and coriander seeds, each in turn, in the same skillet, removing from the pan as soon as they start to darken. Do not tarry, as they can burn easily in the hot pan, even when removed from the stove.

Toast the sesame seeds in the same skillet, shaking periodically to make sure they brown evenly. Remove when they start to darken just a bit.

Grind the pepitas in a spice mill to a coarse powder. Don’t worry if there are a few larger pieces. Remove from the mill and put into a medium bowl.

Grind the spices together until fine, and then add to the bowl with the ground pepitas.

Grind the peppercorns coarsely and add to the bowl.

Add the sesame seeds and salt and stir well until the blend is thoroughly combined.

Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator. It should hold for several weeks at least, depending on the freshness of the pepitas and sesame seeds.

I like the aioli in this recipe that I posted (a first cousin to this, it's almost a reformatting): http://food52.com/recipes... You can make it with lemon or lime juice, or even a good quality unpasteurized organic apple cider vinegar. ;o)

AJ, Just made this and letting it rest in the refrigerator for later. So far it taste great but I sort of felt like it needed a rest before proceeding with the sandwich. This combo of spices is fantastic...do you think this would work as a dry rub or will the natural oils present burn?Thanks so much for the recipe and inspiration.

Thanks, Urban D! You could use the spices in a dry rub, but my guess is, as you suggest, the more fragile seeds probably would not hold up too well. If you were grilling, you could sprinkle the sesame seed on toward the end, just long enough to toast them, and perhaps use the pumpkin seeds (toasted) in a garnish, e.g., a gremolata. ;o)

I've been meaning to use your Dukkah recipes for a while. Today the pieces fell into place. This made a satisfying lunch, and takes me to a new standard for egg salad. There was only a small amount left for my husband when he came home. He was enthusiastic, and ready for more -- which will have to be soon!

Thank you, everyone! And many thanks, of course, to The Editors as well. What a funny coincidence that this should be awarded on the same day that I made a big batch of deviled eggs with dukkah for our annual Independence Day block party. . . . I just happened to have a few imperfect eggs that found themselves into this very salad, to be used in this very sandwich, which I planned to make tomorrow! So glad that dukkah is getting some love, which it richly deserves. ;o)

Congrats, AJ!! I've never been a huge hard boiled egg fan, in part because all the hard boiled eggs served to me as a kid were really overcooked. I love the sound of dukkah and look forward to trying this soon!

Congratulations AJ!! I love deferent variations of egg salads, especially the ones that are made not only with mayonnaise. We have a Russian egg salad to which is added grated good aged cheese and the mayo is mixed with lemon zest, juice and finely minced garlic clove; I also make a Georgian egg salad with walnuts and a spicy condiment like harissa, but I will definitely try the Dukkah, a great combination of seeds and spices. Congratulations ones again!